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This week, a coalition of hunting, conservation, and sportsmen’s advocacy organizations filed a lawsuit challenging the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s approval of a plan to exterminate all mule deer on Catalina Island. The coalition’s partners, including Safari Club International, California Rifle and Pistol Association, California Bowmen Hunters/State Archery Association, Howl for Wildlife, California Deer Association, and the Coalition to Save Catalina Island Deer, will make the case that the Department violated state law by rushing the decision through without proper environmental review.

A convertible nest-and-roost box provides an all-seasons attraction and added benefits for cavity nesting birds.

Early spring is a time to add a new nest box to your yard, but there is an exciting option to a spring nest box – a nest box that doubles as a roost box during the “off-season” – fall and winter. Imagine the joy of observing bluebirds using one of your nest boxes during the season, and having fledglings on hand for some days as they learn to fly and forage for themselves – then having chickadees use the same convertible nest box to spend cold nights during late fall and winter. In the songbird arena, that’s a real possibility with an “all-seasons” nest-and-roost box.

While there seem to be an infinite number of nest boxes available on the market, there are now a few true roost boxes too. But the newest and best option for birders these days seems to be a “convertible” nest box that has a reversable front panel so you can position the entrance hole at top during the nesting season, the reposition the front panel so the entrance hole near the bottom of the box to make it the best option as a roost box during fall and winter.

The idea behind having the entrance at the bottom during the cold weather months is to keep warm air created by the body heat of the bird or birds inside the box. Because hot air rises, instead of escaping out the top, the warm air is kept inside. Also, during the roosting season, a perch consisting of a crossbar or 2, or a ladder-perch, allows the birds to perch above the entrance hole. Sometimes, more than 1 bluebird or chickadee will roost together, adding body heat to the box’s interior. In fact, these small songbirds are known to huddle together for added warmth inside a box while roosting. A convertible nest-and-roost box is really a game changer for cavity nesting birds that also roost in cavities.

The interior of the BestNest nesting-roosting box shows the perches installed for birds to perch on when it is converted to a roost box.
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In this episode of the award-winning “Wildtalk” podcast, guest host Caleb Eckloff and co-host Eric Hilliard discuss commercial forest lands, the duck hunting regulations process and experiences from year two of the U.P. moose project.

Don’t forget to participate in the wildlife quiz part of the show for a chance to win a “Wildtalk” podcast camp mug. The deadline for submission is Mar. 15, so don’t delay. These mugs are exclusive and not available for purchase, so be sure to listen and submit your answer via email to DNR-Wildlife@Michigan.gov with the subject line “Mug me.” Keep an ear out for the April episode, when we will announce the lucky winners.

If you have a general question about wildlife or hunting, record a voice memo on your phone and email it to DNR-Wildlife@Michigan.gov, and we might play it on the air. Don’t worry if you make a mistake recording your audio. We’ll be sure to edit your voice memo to help you be as concise and articulate as possible with your question. Submitted questions are not guaranteed to end up on the show, but we’ll do our best to work in as many as we can.

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